AMA Pushes Gun Control Ahead of Midterm Elections

Have you heard about the gun-control push from the American Medical Association (AMA)? Like it or not, the gun-control debate is a hot-button issue for many and some of the things that are said make me question things a little more. The AMA along with other state and national doctor groups have renewed the push for more gun-control measures.

The AMA is in support of banning assault weapons, bump stocks along with raising the legal age from 18 to 21 to purchase firearms. The AMA’s new policies put the group’s considerable lobbying power behind legislation heading into midterm elections, when gun-control is expected to be a key issue. AMA president, Dr. David O. Barbe stated in a speech to delegates “ Gun violence in America is a public health crisis”. The AMA has been updating and adding measures to its gun-control and public safety agenda for the past few years. According to reports, Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency medicine specialist at Brown University, said at the meeting, “We as physicians are the witnesses to the human toll of this disease.”

The country’s largest physicians group voted to support nearly a dozen policies including:

• A call for banning all assault-type weapons, bump stocks and related devices, high-capacity magazines and armor-piercing bullets.
• Opposing the arming of teachers in schools and keeping schools gun-free zones.
• Requiring all gun owners to complete a gun safety course and register all firearms.
• Increasing the federal legal age limit for all firearms and ammunition from 18 to 21.
• Opposing federal laws that allow “concealed carry” permits to cross state lines.
• Supporting laws that prohibit individuals who are under domestic violence restraining orders or who are convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence crime or stalking from possessing or purchasing firearms.
• Requiring that domestic violence restraining orders and gun violence restraining orders be entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
• Allowing family members and partners and law enforcement officials to petition courts for gun removal from individuals considered at high risk for violence.

To me, it seems that this is a knee-jerk, emotional reaction by the AMA. It’s very understandable to want to fix this “problem” of mass shootings, but it’s an emotional response and those aren’t usually the rational ones.

But what do you think? Comment below, or better yet, join the discussion happening now in chat!